4 early River Valley Civilizations

1. 4 early River Valley Civilizations • Sumerian Civilization - Tigris & Euphrates Rivers (Mesopotamia) WARM-UP: Can you label the 4 early River Valley Civilizations on the map? • Egyptian Civilization - Nile River • Harappan Civilization - Indus River • Ancient China - Huang He River PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins H.S.

2. “The Four Early River Valley Civilizations” • Sumerian Civilization - Tigris & Euphrates Rivers (Mesopotamia) • Egypt (Nile River) • Harappan Civilization - Indus River ENTER The ruins of Mohenjo-Daro; Indus Valley

3. Geography • Challenges • Unpredictable rivers • Strong winds/monsoons • B. The Indus Valley was home to the largest of the four ancient urban civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China.

4. II. Organized Government • Religion & Political power closely linked – major assumptions • Economy based on Farming & Trade • Various Aryan kingdoms • Kingdoms turned to an empire after unification: Mauryan Kushan  Gupta Below: The excavated ruins of Mohenjo-daro.

5. III. Cities • Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro • wide streets • public baths & a sewer system for private homes • brick homes • each city had a citadel • Well organized government = well planned cities • Farmlands surrounded Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro Left: The excavated ruins of Mohenjo-Daro – one of several planned cities laid out on a grid system in the Indus region. Right: The citadel at Mohenjo-Daro. This ancient civilization was not discovered until the 1920's. Most of its ruins, including major cities, remain to be excavated.

6. What happened to the Harappan civilization on the Indus River? Above: The Great Bath at Mohenjo-Daro. Surrounding pics: various Harappan artifacts. PP Design of T. Loessin; Akins H.S.

7. Name three theories about why the Indus Valley civilization ended around 1500 BCE? • The river may have changed course, natural disaster • The people may have overworked the land • Invaders Harappans abandoning their city.

8. Nomadic  Agriculture  small city-states ruled by a raja (prince or king)

9. IV. Organized Religion • Combination of indigenous Indus belief systems and Aryan belief systems • Beliefs preserved in the Vedas, compilation of texts • Based on elements of nature and had a supreme god called “That One” • Grew into the Hindu faith Did you know? Hinduism is considered to be the world’s oldest religion. Yet it’s origins have long been a mystery. Above: Terracota household statues such as this female goddess are found frequently in the region. Is this religious icon an early Shiva? Does modern Hinduism have its origins in Harappan civilization?

10. Varuna Rig Veda Text Indra

11. V. Class Structure/Social Stratification • Physical & social differences existed between Aryan migrants and earlier inhabitants  a complex system of social orders • Rigid “varnas”  caste system based on occupation

12. C. Men were superior to women – suttee (sati) D. Children were essential to marriage

13. VI. Writing • Indigenous writing changed to using Sanskrit • Vedas = preserved Indus/Aryan culture Indus Harappan script has not been deciphered. This means basic questions about the people who created this highly complex culture are still unanswered.

14. VII. Art/Architecture (Technology, too!) • Literature • Mahabharata (Bhagavad Gita) & Ramayana shared religious & moral lessons • Religious building: pillar, stupa, the rock chamber • Algebra, use of zero